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Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Eastern District of Missouri

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Jeffrey B. Jensen
, United States Attorney

Dollar General Robber Indicted on Federal Gun Charges

St. Louis, MO – Lawrence K. Patterson, 25, of St. Louis, was charged in a federal indictment charging him with one felony count of interference with commerce by threats or violence and one felony count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

 

According to the indictment, on or about July 16, 2018, Lawrence Patterson walked into a Dollar General Store and approached two employees with a firearm.  Patterson demanded that they open the store safe and give him the money contained therein.  Patterson was arrested by the St. Louis Police Department in the 5900 block of Delmar on the city’s west side shortly after the robbery. 

 

If convicted, the charge of interference with commerce by threat or violence carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine and the charge of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a penalty of not less than 7 years, not more than life, consecutive to all other counts.

           

As is always the case, charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

 

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives with assistance from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Roy is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

 

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Kansas City Field Division